The subject here is ballad narrative as a vehicle for humor: As usual, I try to present examples from different eras and different socio-cultural milieu. And I make some effort to select examples that most members of the wiki have never heard before. I try to limit the selection to five or six songs, attentive as I am to the tremendous burden of work that students are staggering under week by weary week. Often, however, I end up adding songs that seem to me to be apropos and useful. I sadly label these songs as "extras" and consider them optional. This week I am creating another page of funny story songs.
At any rate, here goes: You'll note that many older songs are connected to work - work songs for cutting broom and flax (Cruel Sister), sailor songs (Down to Old Maui) and this week a cowboy song, "Diamond Joe"
humor emerges from patterns of pain and discontent that jokes, however dry, make more bearable. Certainly the cowboy's working conditions seem to demand some sort of relief.
Here is another portrayal of a cowboy (by Joe Tex):
Here's another tale of work, the hero being an Irish Hod Carrier. This ballad was a source of inspiration for one of the great novels of the 20th century:
(The 'basic" R. McGuinn version)
Here are the song lyrics:
Humor, of course, touches on topics other than work, drinking, and death. Much humor is borne by tricksters, the very mention of which or whom prepares the audience for laughter examples include Coyote and Raven (Native American), Spider (Caribbean) and figures in our culture like Groucho Marx. Africa (Yoruba culture) contributes the monkey as a trickster, found in America as the "Signifying Monkey." Trickster humor is often sexual and scatological. Human beings find endless interest in our urges and orifices. Here is Dolomite with a musical rendition of a Signifying Monkey Tale:
Notice the insult repartee that so angers the lion - this insult repartee is known as "the dozens" or "the dirty dozens" or "Yo mama" rap. Here is a night club version that is "cleaned up" a bit:
Bringing traditions together is, big surprise, Bob Dylan:
At any rate, here goes: You'll note that many older songs are connected to work - work songs for cutting broom and flax (Cruel Sister), sailor songs (Down to Old Maui) and this week a cowboy song, "Diamond Joe"
humor emerges from patterns of pain and discontent that jokes, however dry, make more bearable. Certainly the cowboy's working conditions seem to demand some sort of relief.
Here is another portrayal of a cowboy (by Joe Tex):
Here's another tale of work, the hero being an Irish Hod Carrier. This ballad was a source of inspiration for one of the great novels of the 20th century:
(The 'basic" R. McGuinn version)
Here are the song lyrics:
Humor, of course, touches on topics other than work, drinking, and death. Much humor is borne by tricksters, the very mention of which or whom prepares the audience for laughter examples include Coyote and Raven (Native American), Spider (Caribbean) and figures in our culture like Groucho Marx. Africa (Yoruba culture) contributes the monkey as a trickster, found in America as the "Signifying Monkey." Trickster humor is often sexual and scatological. Human beings find endless interest in our urges and orifices. Here is Dolomite with a musical rendition of a Signifying Monkey Tale:
Notice the insult repartee that so angers the lion - this insult repartee is known as "the dozens" or "the dirty dozens" or "Yo mama" rap. Here is a night club version that is "cleaned up" a bit:
Bringing traditions together is, big surprise, Bob Dylan:
And finally, "Homecoming Queen's got a gun"
The Homecoming Queen has got a gun - Julie Brown
And similarly, Ryan Brooks: "Stacy's Mom"
And for More amusing story songs follow this link: